How to Enroll In a Cosmetology College near Lacrosse Wisconsin
Once you have made a decision to become a cosmetologist and attend a beauty school near Lacrosse WI, the task starts to find and enroll in the ideal school. It’s imperative that the school you select not only furnishes the necessary education for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you may be somewhat unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. We’ll discuss a bit more concerning that in the upcoming segment. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Lacrosse home. Tuition will likewise be an important factor when assessing possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not always the best choice. There are a number of other factors that you should weigh when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of training programs are offered.
Defining Cosmetology
Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human body look more attractive with the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic may be almost anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states require that you take some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Lacrosse WI beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a clientele, open their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing clients either in their own homes or will travel to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many professional names and work in a wide range of specialties including:
- Hairdressers
- Hairstylists
- Beauticians
- Barbers
- Manicurists
- Nail Technicians
- Makeup Artists
- Hair Coloring Specialists
- Estheticians
- Electrolysis Technicians
As earlier mentioned, in most states practicing cosmetologists must be licensed. In a few states there is an exemption. Only those conducting more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others working in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.
Cosmetologist Degrees and Certificates
There are primarily two options available to obtain cosmetology training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs typically take 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree ordinarily takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in all of the main areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you prefer to focus on just one area, for example hair coloring. A degree program will also most likely feature management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to run a salon or other Lacrosse WI business. Higher degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whatever type of training program you choose, it’s imperative to make certain that it’s certified by the Wisconsin Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain reputable agencies, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the next segment.
Online Beauty Courses
Online cosmetology classes are accommodating for Lacrosse WI students who are employed full time and have family commitments that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous online cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed through a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are frequently fast paced because many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you’re not devoting many hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s essential that the training program you choose can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also receive the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s difficult to obtain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So don’t forget if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.
What to Ask Cosmetologist Training Classes
Below is a list of questions that you will want to research for any beauty training program you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Lacrosse WI home, as well as the price of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have compiled several of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the Program Accredited? It’s necessary to make sure that the cosmetology training program you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered in 99143 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Lacrosse WI employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any beauty college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly demanded. Check rating services for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Lacrosse WI salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. Finally, contact the Wisconsin school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of cosmetology schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you choose a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your dream is to start a hair salon in Lacrosse WI, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you need.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Practicing and perfecting cosmetology skills and techniques requires lots of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty academy provides little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends heavily on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for acquiring your skills. So look for alternate schools that offer this type of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from a beauty school, it’s important that she or he gets aid in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish help develope relationships with Lacrosse WI employers that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? Many beauty schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students too. If a school meets each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not omit it as an option until you determine what financial help may be offered.
Enrolled in Cosmetology School near Lacrosse WI?
If you have decided to attend Beauty School in the greater Lacrosse WI area, following is some interesting and perhaps useful information about the location of your new school campus.
La Crosse, Wisconsin
The city's estimated population in 2017 was 51,834.[7] The city forms the core of and is the principal city in the La Crosse-Onalaska, WI-MN Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of La Crosse County and Houston County, Minnesota, with a combined population of 135,298.[8] La Crosse is home to the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Viterbo University, and Western Technical College. A regional technology and medical hub, La Crosse has received high rankings from some magazines in health, well-being, quality of life, and education.[6][9][10][11]
The first Europeans to see the site of La Crosse were French fur traders who traveled the Mississippi River in the late 17th century. There is no written record of any visit to the site until 1805, when Lt. Zebulon Pike mounted an expedition up the Mississippi River for the United States. Pike recorded the location's name as "Prairie La Crosse." The name originated from the game with sticks that resembled a bishop's crozier or la crosse in French, which was played by Native Americans there.[12][13]
The first white settlement at La Crosse occurred in 1841 when Nathan Myrick, a New York native, moved to the village at Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin to work in the fur trade. Myrick was disappointed to find that because many fur traders were already well-entrenched there, there were no openings for him in the trade. As a result, he decided to establish a trading post upriver at the then still unsettled site of Prairie La Crosse. In 1841, he built a temporary trading post on Barron Island (now called Pettibone Park), which lies just west of La Crosse's present downtown. The following year, Myrick relocated the post to the mainland prairie, partnering with H. J. B. Miller to run the outfit.[14]
Select the Right Beauty Program near Lacrosse WI
Finding and enrolling in the ideal cosmetologist school is imperative to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Make certain to organize all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that information to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the institution and program you decide on are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to launch your career as a professional cosmetologist in Lacrosse WI.
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